The UK has admitted that Ukrainian forces have retreated from Bakhmut. Ukraine`s troops have been forced to retreat from some areas due to Russia`s renewed heavy attack on Bakhmut.
Citing Russia`s Defense Ministry and its main mercenary force, the UK said that Russia was launching a new attack in the Donetsk-Oblast city of Bakhmut. The attack gained momentum as cooperation between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Wagner Group intensified.
British intelligence says that Ukrainian forces are still holding defensive positions in the western part of Bakhmut. However, they have been subjected to intense shelling by Russia in the last 48 hours.
Wagner now aims to advance towards the center of Bakhmut. Russian paratroopers are helping them move forward. Russia has been trying to seize Bakhmut for the past few months. Their goal is to tighten control over the entire Donetsk region. If Bakhmut can be captured, Russia will get much closer to that goal.
If the city is captured, it will be Russia`s biggest victory in the last eight months of fighting. Moscow said a route would be launched to capture eastern Ukraine`s Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces are preparing to launch a counterattack against Russian forces. They were expected to leave Bakhmut by the end of February. But in March they announced they would continue fighting from there.
Russian forces are now prepared for a long fight. Western-armed Ukrainian forces have shown occasional success, but Russian forces are sticking to their plans. Especially in the eastern part of Ukraine, they want to strengthen their position and advance to the west. For this, they are inducting new troops into the Russian army and using mercenaries.
